Ses Illetes

This is the basic route that anyone renting a boat in Ibiza should follow and the one we include with our all-inclusive charter. It is a route in which you will visit the best beaches of Formentera with stops in Espalmador, in Illetas, where you can eat in one of its delicious restaurants and finally in Calo des moro (sa pedrera point) or in Cala pluma (salinas beach) depending on the weather conditions of the day.

This route is possible when the winds are from the east, northeast, south or southeast. It is not advisable to do it with westerly winds as it will leave us with a swell depending on the strength of the wind. In Ibiza and Formentera in summer, the easterly wind usually prevails, which is why this is the most popular route during the summer season. 

Ibiza-Espalmador

We start our route leaving the Marina Botafoch marina, our first stop will be the small island of Espalmador. It is an almost uninhabited island and very close to Formentera. So close that only a narrow and low sandbank separates them, one of the best places in Formentera to swim in its crystal clear turquoise waters. The only inhabitants of the island are also its owners, who have a small house located to the north of a secluded bay of white sand. Although it is a private island, the island is protected and it is not possible to build beyond what has already been built. 

This first stop is indicated at the top of the map with a blue anchor and is called El Paso. Although the sailing time to this point is only 30 minutes, there are different dangers that you should be very careful with, we have also indicated each one of them on the map. They are rocks or shallows around the island of Espalmador. There is one particularly dangerous one where every year many boats hit their engines and can even open a waterway in the hull. This is the danger called Bajo de Gorrinets as you enter the bay of Espalmador. We must be very careful on this rock.

Once anchored at this point, we can go down to Espalmador by swimming a few metres from the boat until we set foot on the sandbank that separates Espalmador from Formentera. The water reaches waist-deep along the entire length of the sandbank.  Once on the sandbank, we can easily walk to the beach of Espalmador and walk along the entire beach to enjoy a unique and special landscape. We must be aware of where we are and protect the place so that we can all continue to enjoy this incredible place for many years to come. 

Espalmador is located within the Ses Salines marine reserve, so access to some areas of the dunes that form it is restricted, precisely to preserve the incredible natural heritage of the park. At the end of the bay there is a passage to the famous mud baths, where you can have a totally free and fun beauty treatment.

Espalmador-Ses Illetes

The second anchorage point is Ses Illetes beach (Formentera), a meeting point for most of the yachts and sailing boats that anchor on the small island of Ibiza and Formentera. The reasons are known all over the world: calm, crystal-clear turquoise blue waters, enviable climate and magnificent restaurants. Here you can enjoy its dreamlike waters and the best restaurants on the island. There are several restaurants where you can taste the specialities of the island: fresh fish and seafood paella. All the restaurants in the area have a pneumatic service to pick you up and take you to the restaurant. Above on the map you have also marked all the restaurants in the area, with their telephone numbers, location, etc. If you want to make a reservation to eat at one of them, do it well in advance as they are usually full all summer long. 

To go down to the beach from the boat once you are anchored in front of it, you only have to inform the restaurant and one of the boat's crew will come to your boat to take you down for lunch. It is important that you make sure before you go down that the boat has enough chain on the bottom, that the anchor is well positioned in the sand and that you leave enough distance from the surrounding boats. It wouldn't be the first time that a boat has been caught and lost on the horizon or hit the surrounding boats. 

The beach of Illetas is enormous and reaches almost to the port of La Savina. The port of La Savina is the main port of the island, where the ferries transport tourists and goods for the supply of the island. It is not interesting to stop here, unless you want to spend the night and need a mooring. 

Along the beach of Illetas, the seabed is white sand and you can anchor at any point of the beach, always of course behind the area marked with yellow buoys that delimits the bathing area. You can anchor from 3m to 7 or 8 metres deep. Always keep in mind to anchor on sand and never on posidonia, a protected marine plant that cleans and purifies the waters. The colour of the water is darker on the posidonia beds, so it is very easy to distinguish its location. Along the beach you can admire the magnificent yachts and megayachts that come to these waters every year, it is a great spectacle. 

Ses Illetes-Calo des Moro o Cala Pluma

After lunch, nothing better than a leisurely stroll to the small and hidden Caló des Moro, just 10 minutes from Ses Illetes. A small and steep cove with a lot of charm, ideal for "snorkelling" due to the great variety of fish, or simply to rest before heading to Ibiza. It is possible that some days it is not possible to go to this corner due to the weather conditions or the large number of boats. It is a small cove with little space for anchoring in sand, so if the captain thinks it appropriate, the last stop can also be made in Cala Pluma, at the end of the saline beach. It is also a marvellous place, with its 16th century defence tower towering before us and its calm waters with a sandy bottom.

Calo des Moro,Cala Pluma-Ibiza

From Illetas to Cala Pluma is about 15 minutes of pleasant sailing. From Cala Pluma to Ibiza there is another 15 minutes of sailing, be careful with a couple of areas marked on the map and near Cala Pluma: the small freu where you should never pass because there are stones at shallow depth and the low Barqueta visible normally by the water that splashes in it. 

It is a perfect route for a day of charter and visit the best places of Formentera. If you do not know the island, this is your best route. If you liked our route and want to rent one of our boats click on this link to see our charter section.

Date of Publication: 08/02/2022